The Levellers

“If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover,
And if the road was not for me
Then I would choose another.
Cross mountains and valleys deep
Where I would take these weary feet.
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover.” (The Boatman)

Until 2013 I had never heard of The Levellers. Sometimes a person, or a book, or a song, impacts your life with all of the bang and molten rain of a firework display. The Boatman, by The Levellers, was – for me – one such song. The impact went way beyond the idea of living the life I choose, though that was enormous enough.

“And if the road was not for me
Then I would choose another.”

Our destination is often out of sight.

The concept of trying and seeing how well an idea for living ‘fits’, was revolutionary to me. It enabled me to fail, without guilt, or a sense of waste – and that in turn allowed me to try ideas on for size, to see how well they fitted me.

Lessons learned on the back of this include:

Life is fluid.

Decisions are made for now, rather than forever.

‘Failure’ is just as much a stepping stone to a life that is your own, as ‘success’ is.

You get to choose your life on a daily basis.

All circumstances are open to change.

“There’s only one way of life, and that’s your own.” (One Way)

I include this page, as a small token of the gratitude I feel towards The Levellers (Mark, Jeremy, Jon, Simon and Charlie), for their work, and to Pete for the introduction.